In August 2024,Sabatini narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Doug Shields in the Lake County Commission's 1st district election. In November 2024,he considered running for Florida's 6th congressional district in the 2025 special election until President Trump endorsed state senator Randy Fine.[10] Later that month,Sabatini reaffirmed his intention to run for Congress in the future.[10]
Sabatini is an infantry officer in the Florida Army National Guard. He was appointed to the City of Eustis Code Enforcement Board and later elected to the Eustis City Commission in 2016 and resigned from the office on April 30,2018,to focus on his campaign for the Florida House of Representatives.[18][19]
Florida House of Representatives (2018–2022)
Sabatini's official portraits during his first (left) and second (right) terms in the Florida legislature
Sabatini defeated Monica Wofford and Shannon Elswick, to win the August 28, 2018 Republican primary, winning 46.7% of the vote.[20] In the November 6, 2018 general election, Sabatini defeated Democrat Cynthia Brown, taking 56.48% of the vote.[21][22]
Sabatini being sworn in as a Florida state representative, November 2018
In 2019, Sabatini proposed amendments to make the Swamp Restaurant in Gainesville a landmark to protect it from demolition.[23][24] The restaurant was temporarily closed, but not demolished, and eventually returned.[25]
In 2020, Sabatini introduced legislation allowing Floridians with valid concealed carry licensed to carry firearms on public colleges and universities.[27][28][29]
In April 2023, Sabatini declared his candidacy for the U.S House of Representatives, again challenging incumbent Daniel Webster for the Republican nomination for Florida's 11th congressional district.[42] During the campaign, Sabatini characterized Webster as "senile" and accused him of being a "RINO".[9]
In June 2024, Sabatini withdrew from the race after President Trump endorsed Webster.[43]
Lake County Republican Party (2022–2024)
In December 2022, Sabatini was elected chair of the Lake County Republican Party.[44]
In December 2024, Sabatini stepped down as county party chair and endorsed Carey Baker for the position, who was defeated by Taylor Yarkosky.[1] In February 2025, Sabatini criticized Yarkosky's leadership and called for a new county party chair.[45]
In August 2025, Sabatini filed a lawsuit, on behalf of precinct committeewoman Autumn Jacunski, which alleged Jacunski was "physically battered" by county party vice chair Mike Trainor during an event attended by Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, claiming her hand was intentionally slammed in a door.[46] Shortly after, a three-minute video of the event was released showing Sabatini sent Jacunski into the building to inform attendees he was barred from entry, saying:
Go in there and tell every single f—ing person that this meeting needs to end right now,... Do not let them call this meeting because these three people said they are going to arrest me and throw me in jail, a sitting County Commissioner, if I walk in the building.[47]
Later in the video, Jacunski approached the entrance and became "confrontational" with Trainor.[47] When the door was shut, Trainor was not looking at the door; Jacunski appeared unhurt and walked away from the entrance.[47] Police were called to investigate, but no arrests were made.[47] In a statement to the press, State Attorney Bill Gladson responded to the event, saying: "prosecution is extremely unlikely" and "this whole situation could have been avoided if those involved would have just acted like adults instead of children. Everyone should be embarrassed. Lake County deserves better."[48]
Lake County Commission (2024–present)
Less than one hour after withdrawing his second candidacy for Congress, Sabatini announced his candidacy for the Lake County Commission.[9] In August 2024, he was elected to the Lake County Commission, narrowly defeating incumbent Republican Doug Shields.[49] On November 12, Sabatini was formally sworn into office.[50]
Sabatini has opposed gun control in the United States and has supported unrestricted carry legislation to allow Floridians to carry concealed firearms without first acquiring a permit. Sabatini described permit requirements as a requirement for persons "to beg government permission and pay money for the exercise of their fundamental God-given right."[59] Sabatini introduced constitutional carry legislation in 2020, 2021, and 2022; the legislation was endorsed by Republican governor Ron DeSantis but did not pass the Republican-controlled legislature; Sabatini criticized several fellow Republicans for failing to back the bill.[60][61]
Sabatini is self-described Christian nationalist.[63] He has spoken at multiple rallies to "spread Christian nationalism" alongside General Mike Flynn.[64][65] In 2022, Sabatini posted on Facebook: "only when Christians stand up & get loud, will we take this country back."[65]
Sabatini has made multiple critical statements of "cancel culture", tweeting that, "If Socrates was out philosophizing in American society today, he would be cancelled real quick".[69] He has called for repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, arguing that it allows online platforms to remove conservative perspectives.[70]
Donald Trump
Sabatini has proposed renaming the Florida section of U.S. Route 27 the "President Donald J. Trump Highway".[71] During Trump's reelection bid announcement in Orlando on June 18, 2019, a rally goer attacked an Orlando Sentinel reporter filming the event. The reporter tweeted the encounter, to which Sabatini replied "MAGA," for which he was again criticized for supporting violence.[72]
Following the FBI's August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, Sabatini said Florida should "sever all ties with DOJ immediately" and added that "any FBI agent conducting law enforcement functions outside the purview of our State should be arrested upon sight".[74]
After President Trump endorsed Sabatini's primary opponent in 2024, Sabatini has been a critic of Donald Trump.[5]
Sabatini on the House floor during the COVID-19 pandemic, April 2021
In July 2020, a Florida resident filed an ethics complaint against Sabatini in connection with his involvement in several mask mandate lawsuits.[75] The complaint was in response to a press release about the lawsuit that printed Sabatini's official House email address as the press contact and alleged that this violates a Florida State Statute about misuse of public position.[75]
Sabatini has filed at least 14 lawsuits during the COVID-19 pandemic challenging local ordinances requiring the use of face coverings.[76] On September 2, 2020, he received his sixth loss from the filed suits that have so far been heard.[77]
In response to the protests following the murder of George Floyd, Sabatini posted a tweet that suggested that protesters who unlawfully enter businesses would be met with an AR-15 rifle; he posted a similar suggestion on his Facebook page with the caption "Don't Tread on Me".[80] The sentiment was widely condemned, with Florida State Representative Cindy Polo deriding it as "clearly inflammatory" and "inciting violence".[81]Nikki Fried, Florida Agriculture Commissioner, called for Sabatini to be reprimanded. House Speaker José Oliva found no "direct or preemptive threat" in Sabatini's comments and did not take punitive actions.[82] Sabatini also drew criticism from Florida state senator Shevrin Jones for referring to Black Lives Matter protesters in Minneapolis as "disgusting, lawless thugs" in a tweet calling for their arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment.[83]
During the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, following the shooting and death of three men in Kenosha, WI, Sabatini tweeted "KYLE RITTENHOUSE FOR CONGRESS."[84]
In 2017, Sabatini wrote an open letter as city commissioner, saying: "to any cities or counties that would like to donate their Confederate monuments to the City of Eustis, we will gladly accept and proudly display our nation's history."[85] In 2019, Sabatini supported the relocation of a Confederate statue from Washington, D.C. to Tavares, Florida.[86]
In 2022, Sabatini called to defund the Federal Bureau of Investigation, saying: "I think every single candidate and elected official in the GOP right now needs to go on record pledging to defund these lawless agencies."[87]
Supreme Court
Sabatini criticized President Joe Biden's pledge to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court following Justice Stephen Breyer's announcement that he would retire, tweeting, "Biden MUST be impeached for his anti-white racist exclusion of any white nominee to the Supreme Court".[88][89]
Francisco Franco
In 2022, Sabatini quoted Spanish dictator Francisco Franco on Twitter, tweeting that “I answer only to God and to History.” In response to criticism of Sabatini's tweet, Sabatini posted a picture of Franco with President Dwight Eisenhower and stated that critics of his tweet were "extremely un-American."[90]
Following the attack on Paul Pelosi, The New York Times accused Sabatini of spreading misinformation when he suggested that the Pelosi family was hiding vital information about the attack.[91]
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